Tool for laying a pipeline laterally of a well bore



L. w. SELF 3,221,824

TOOL FOR LAYING A PIPELINE LATERALLY OF A WELL BORE Dec. 7, 1965 Filed Dec. 19. 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 n \n n I Leo/70rd W Je/f INVENTOR.

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7, 1965 L. w. SELF 3,221,824

TOOL FOR LAYING A PIPELINE LATERALLY OF A WELL BORE Filed Dec. 19. 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Leeward W J@/% INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY L. W. SELF Dec. 7, 1965 TOOL FOR LAYING A PIPELINE LATERALLY OF A WELL BORE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 19, 1961 Dec. 7, 1965 w. SELF 3,221,824

TOOL FOR LAYING A PIPELINE LATEHALLY OF A WELL BORE Filed Dec. 19, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Zea/70rd l V. Je/f INVENTOR.

BYE) m 014 b 4 6M ATTO/P/VfV-J United States Patent 3,221,824 TOOL FGR LAYING A PIPELINE LATERALLY OF A WELL BORE Leonard W. Self, Gladewater, Tex., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Alpha Trace, Inc., a corporation of Texas Filed Dec. 19, 1961, Ser. No. 160,559 11 Claims. (Cl. 17519) This invention relates to an improved apparatus for pushing conduit segments laterally of a borehole to form a conduit extending out into a formation to be produced or treated.

While reference is made herein to completion of a Well, it will be understood that this term is used in the broadest sense to include not only the preparation of the well for flowing of oil or gas from a formation, including treating such formation in various fashions such as fracturing, acidizing, and other processes, but also to include preparing a well as a water flooding well or one to be employed in other secondary recovery operations. The term is also applicable to both newly drilled wells and wells which previously have been completed. Thus, the invention relates broadly, insofar as its end use is concerned, to apparatus for preparing wells for production or for use in secondary recovery operations wherein the apparatus establishes a lateral flowway between a formation and a borehole to permit ready flow of fluids to or from the formation.

It is known that many formations exist which contain larger reserves of oil that cannot be recovered at a desirably high rate due to relatively low permeability of the formations or for other reasons. The process of fracturing the formation has been suggested to increase production, but this has not always been successful due to the fact that cement surrounding the casing is exposed to the fracturing fluid. Thus, after a casing has been landed, cement is flowed between the borehole wall and the casing and then after the cement has set, the casing is punctured by a mechanical means, a bullet or a shaped charge. Then upon applying the fracturing fluid, its pressure is exerted on the cement, tending to rupture the bond between the cement and the borehole wall or between the cement and the casing. The fracturing fluid will cause fractures to develop at the points of least resistance which frequently are upwardly or downwardly along the cement interface rather than out in the formation where they are desired. Other well treatments, such as acidizing, wherein the fluid is applied to the formation, have encountered similar difficulties.

Another important difiiculty encountered with completing a well by shooting the casing with a bullet or shaped charge arises from the fact that the depth of penetration by the bullet or shaped charge is limited and usually a maximum penetration of perhaps 14 to 16 inches is all that can be accomplished. In many wells, such degree of penetration is insuflicieut. For example, in some wells, the borehole will be considerably enlarged at the producing formation due to sloughing off of the formation during drilling, cave-ins or the like. Then when the casing is cemented in place, there exists a considerable lateral thickness of cement between the casing and formation and in some cases, presently existing bullet or shaped charge guns cannot shoot through the entire thickness of cement. Accordingly, the well cannot be completed from such formation.

In still other wells, there has been water encroachment due to a poor cement job above or below the producing formation. To correct this, these wells are squeeze cemented in an effort to perfect the cement job. During the squeeze cementing operation, cement is forced out into the producing formation; and if the formation is comparatively porous, the cement will penetrate out a distance sufficient that the bullet or shaped charge type perforating tool cannot perforate out past the cement. Hence, the production either decreases markedly or ceases altogether.

Various suggestions have been made to overcome perforating difficulties such as those outlined above. For example, Whipstocks have been set in the casing and then after a mill has cut a window in the casing, a bit is run in on a flexible drill string and a hole is drilled out by rotating the bit into the formation. Such operation is relatively expensive since it requires a drilling rig to be set up, a whipstock to be set and a window to be milled in the casing. Moreover, it is difficult to use and, in any case, relatively large casing must be provided to allow room for the flexible drill string to be whipstocked out into the formation at an angle which even approaches horizontal.

It has also been suggested that a lateral pipeline be laid by using pipe segments which are successively joined together and moved out into the formation. However, the apparatus suggested for carrying out this operation has been either so bulky as to require a borehole many feet in diameter (a caisson) or has involved rotating the segments as they are pushed out into the formation so as to actually drill a hole into the formation which not only unduly complicates the apparatus, but also does not permit it to be designed for use in ordinary size casing, much less the slim hole casing which has become so popular today. Moreover, none of such apparatus for laying a segmented pipeline has been suited to puncturing an ordinary well casing.

In the above referenced co-pending application, there has been disclosed a tool which pushes successive segments of pipe out into a formation, the segments being joined together during the pushing operation so that there results a pipeline extending out into the formation. While the apparatus so disclosed has been quite satisfactory, it is always desirable to simplify any apparatus; and it is therefore a general object of this invention to provide a simplified apparatus of this type which is an improvement on the apparatus of the co-pending application.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for completing a well by pushing, without rotation, successive pipe segments out into a formation to form a pipe or flowway thereinto, the apparatus being operated by reciprocating a mass, such as a tubing, above the tools with the arrangement being such that the stroke of the mass is not critical and can very within relatively wide limits without endangering the operation of the tool.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus wherein the tubing or other mass can overtravel beyond the distance required for actual operation of the tool without interfering with such operation, thereby affording a much greater latitude in the stroke of the tubing or other mass.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus which is especially suited for either or both deep hole or slim hole operation in that it can be made very compact in cross section.

Another object of the invention is to provide a much simpler apparatus of this type and one which is very positive in operation.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art from a consideration of the specification, the claims and the drawings wherein:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are schematic illustrations of the operation of one embodiment of this invention showing the manner in which the tool is lowered into operating position and also showing its operation in pushing segments laterally of the borehole;

FIG. 4 is a View, partially in section and partially in elevation, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the tool;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are cross sectional views taken respectively on th lines 5-5, 6-6 and 77 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the wedge and anvil construction shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a cross section view through the upper end of the tool showing upper gripping means expanded against a well casing;

FIG. 10 is a view on the line 1010 in FIG. 9;

FIGS. 11 and 12 are enlarged cross sectional views of the tool at the upper end of the wedge illustrating the means for permitting overtravel of the tubing or other mass without corresponding travel of the wedge;

FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view of one form of the segments including the nose segment; and

FIG. 14 is a view taken on line 1414 of FIG. 13.

Like reference characters are used throughout the several views to designate like parts.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the apparatus of this invention (herein usually referred to as a tool) generally comprises a housing 10 adapted to be lowered into a well bore, such as through a casing 11, until it is opposite a formation A into which the segmented pipe is to be laid.

The housing carries a suitable holding means 12 at the lower end of the tool and another upper holding means (not shown in toto in FIGS. 1 to 3) adapted to grip the casing and hold the tool in fixed position during the pipe laying operation. Carried by the housing is a means 13 for supplying a plurality of pipe segments 14 to a holding means 15 which is adapted to receive a segment and position it so that it can be pushed without rotation out into the formation. Power means are provided for supplying the segment pushing force, and it includes an element movable longitudinally of the casing to develop a force which is translated into a transverse force for pushing the segments laterally of the tool. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the power means includes a wedge 16 which translates the longitudinal force into a lateral force and applies such force to a force transmitting connection 18. The latter is reciprocated transversely of the tool to push a pipe segment out into the formation and then is retracted to permit a new segment to be fed into the supporting means. Power for reciprocating the wedge is applied by reciprocating a mass, such as a tubing, sucker rod or drill string 19 or any other mass which is of sufiicient magnitude to apply the requisite force to the wedge to drive the segment out into the formation. If desired, the mass could comprise a weight which is reciprocated by a cable or sand line.

In accordance with one important aspect of this invention, means 20 are provided for interconnecting the tubing string and the wedge whereby the tubing string can overtravel upwardly after it has moved the wedge to its uppermost position. This eliminates the need for precise control of the extent of tubing travel and is particularly advantageous for deep holes wherein the stretch of the tubing may be an important factor. This feature and its advantages will be explained in greater detail below.

Thus, the over-all operation of the tool involves first lowering the tool into the well and then setting the holding means so as to hold the tool in fixed position. The string 19 is then lowered to actuate the wedge, that is, lowered until it is connected with the wedge and then lowered further until the wedge has moved the force transmitting means 18 outwardly to push a segment out toward the formation. During its initial movement to the left in FIG. 2, the force transmitting means drives the first segment 14a laterally of the housing and at least partially through casing 11. Upon raising of string 19, the wedge is retracted and when it reaches its fully retracted position, the interconnection between the wedge and string is broken, permitting the string to move upwardly away from the wedge as indicated in FIG. 3. In so raising the wedge, the force transmitting connection 18 is retracted and a second segment 14 is fed into the supporting means 15 from supply means 13. Then upon lowering the string 19, it again connects with the wedge and moves the same downwardly as indicated in FIG. 2 to move the force transmitting means and the segment ahead of it laterally toward the formation. A number of these operations can be made, resulting in a single string of connected segments being placed in the formation.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-7, the pipe segment holding means includes a solid section 21 fixed in housing 10 and having a cut out portion or saddle 22 adapted to receive a pipe segment and position it for pushing into the formation through an opening 23 in housing 10.

The segment supplying means 13 is herein illustrated as including a chute or magazine 24 opening into a groove 25 which extends in solid section 21 from the chute to the saddle 22. Both the chute and groove are preferably of rectangular cross section so as to be adapted to hold a plurality of pipe segments in stacked relation.

With this construction, it can be seen that as the anvil 26 is moved to the left in FIG. 4, a segment will be pushed out through the opening 23. During this operation, the next segment in the groove 25 will ride on top of the segment being pushed out as well as on top of the nose of the anvil which nose is slightly flattened on top to facilitate its sliding under the lowest segment in the magazine. During retraction of the anvil, the next segment will continue to ride upon the nose of the anvil until the same has been retracted, after which the segment will drop into saddle 22. As the anvil nose is being withdrawn, the next segment above cannot tip because its front end will be engaging the inner wall of housing 10 and because the depth of the groove from front to back is only slightly greater than the length of the segment whereby the segment cannot move or tilt downwardly until the anvil nose has been fully retracted. This same dimensional relationship also applies to the chute 24.

Means are provided for mounting the anvil in the housing to permit transverse reciprocation of the anvil while limiting its movement longitudinally of the housing. Such means can be provided by transverse slots 27 in the housing which act as guides for slides 23 on the anvil. Preferably, the slides 28 have upper flat surfaces bearing against the upper sides of the slots to better distribute the upward component of force generated by the action of the wedge on the anvil. Also, the anvil can have a web 26a sliding in a corresponding groove in the housing. This web, of course, strengthens the nose of the anvil.

The wedge is mounted in the housing for reciprocation longitudinally thereof by disposing it within a cut out portion of the solid section 21. Also, a backup plate 29 can be disposed to the rear of the wedge so as to provide a flat bearing surface against which the wedge can act.

The anvil is connected to the wedge in such a manner that the anvil can be transversely reciprocated responsive to longitudinal reciprocation of the wedge. This connection can comprise slides 30 on the anvil disposed in guideways 31 in the wedge.

Since at times it may be necessary for the tool to exert a force on the segments of many, many tons, it is desirable to provide not only a means for adequately distributing the reaction to this force, but also facilitating the initial retraction of the wedge. Thus, the wedge can be provided with front and back pressure plates which can be accurately machined to provide a fiat-face contact therebetween and also with the wedge. These plates can be made of material treated to withstand a high bearing load. The back pressure plates can comprise a plate 32 disposed in a corresponding recess in the rear of the wedge and a second plate 33 likewise disposed in another recess which is slightly longer than the plate 33. Similarly, the front pressure plates can comprise plate 34 and a plate 35, the latter being also disposed in a recess longer than the plate. This construction is further illustrated in FIG. 8 where the front pressure plates are shown, it being understood that the back pressure plates will have a similar construction. With this construction, it can be seen that after the wedge has been moved downwardly to its fullest extent, an upward force thereon will cause the wedge and plates 32 and 34 to move upwardly relative to plates 33 and 35, thereby breaking the wedging action between the anvil and the rear of the gun. Of course, it will be understood that the plates should be of such length that they are taking the load during the actual pushing of the segment into the formation. However, the plates need not extend the full length of the wedge because a portion of the wedges travel is with essentially no load on the anvil, i.e., during the time the anvil is advancing to push a segment out into contact with the next preceding segment.

In order to further facilitate breaking the wedging action between the anvil and the rear of the gun after a full stroke of the anvil, the wedge can be formed as two separate pieces 16a and 16b which are mated together along an inclined face 36 so that, in effect, portion 16a is a wedge behind portion 16b. The two portions can be joined together in sliding connection by studs 37 threaded into one of these portions and extending through a slot 38 in the other portion. This permits relative longitudinal movement between the two portions while at the same time holding them assembled. Also, a spring 39 can be disposed between the two portions to aid in breaking out the wedge after a full stroke. The two wedge portions can have endwise surfaces 40 and 41 which can be brought into abutment so that the two wedge portions move downwardly as a unit and yet the wedge portion 16a is free to move upward a limited amount relative to wedge portion 1615.

Turning now to FIGS. 11 and 12, there is illustrated one form of a means for interconnecting the wedge and tubing so that the latter can overtravel. Thus, a pair of dogs 42 and 43 can be pivoted to the upper end of the wedge for engagement with a latch fitting 44 carried on the lower end of the tubing. Thus, the latch fitting 44 can have shoulders 45 which the dogs will engage responsive to their being urged to latched position by springs 46. It will thus be seen that the tubing and wedge are releasably connected. A latch releasing means, here shown in the form of a ring 47 carried by housing 10, is disposed so that the latches will be releaesed at a time when the wedge reaches the upper end of its stroke. Thus, the ring 47 engages the latches as shown in FIG. 12 to cause them to release from fitting 44, thereby permitting the tubing to continue moving upwardly without concurrent movement of the wedge. However, as the tubing moves downwardly, it will first engage the upper end of the wedge and move it downward slightly until the dogs are released for movement to the FIG. 11 position where they again form the releasable connection with the tubing.

In order that the fitting 44 may be properly positioned to engage the top of the wedge, a guide rod or tube 48 can be connected to the upper end of the wedge to extend upwardly to the top of the tool as shown particularly in FIG. 1.

In order that the tool can be lowered into the hole and manipulated properly to lock it in place, it is desired that a means be provided for releasably connecting the tubing to the housing 10. As shown in FIGS. 1, and 11, such means can take the form of threads 49 on the fitting 44 which are adapted to screw into corresponding threads 50 (FIGS. 1 and 10) in the housing. Of course, the threads 49-50 should be of opposite hand to those in the tubing string so that after the tool is lowered into the hole and locked in position, the tubing string can be turned to unthread the fitting 44 from the housing without fear of also loosening the tubing joints.

Means are provided for locking the tool in place after it has been lowered into operating position in the well to thereby prevent the housing from moving upwardly, downwardly or sideways during actuation of the wedge. In the preferred embodiment, such means includes both a lower locking means 12, as best shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and an upper locking means also indicated in these figures but shown in detail in FIGS. 9 and 10.

The lower locking means can comprise a pair of slips 51 and 51a mounted on a carrier 52 for radial expansion. A slip setting wedge 53 is connected to the lower part of housing It and the slip carrier is suspended from the housing by studs 54. With this arrangement, it will be seen that upon setting the slip carrier down upon a casing stop 55 or other abutment, further downward movement of housing 10 will cause the slip setting wedge to move down between slips 51 and 51a to expand them as shown in FIG. 2. In this connection, it will be noted that the relative dimensions of the slips and the slip setting wedge are such that as the slips are bing set, slip 51 moves radially so as to push the housing 10 sideways so that the backside of the housing 19 will be in abutment with the casing. The radial movement of slip 510, however, is just enough to cause it to bite into the casing 11 when the housing 10 has been pushed to one side as shown in FIG. 2. This provides the housing with back-up from the easi-ng during the time the segments are being pushed from the front side of the housing. Further details of the lower holding means 12 are disclosed in the above referenced copending application and such disclosure is incorporated herein by reference.

As indicated above, means are provided at the upper part of the housing for holding the tool and especially for preventing any sideways movement thereof during operation of the wedge. Such means can include a pair of dogs 55 pivoted as at 56 to the upper end of the housing with the dogs being received in vertical grooves in the housing. Thus, the dogs are mounted to be swung outwardly as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 about pivots 56 to engage their toothed faces 57 with the casing. In so swinging outwardly, the dogs push the housing 10 toward One wall of casing 11 as shown in FIG. 9. They thus effectively prevent the housing 10 from swinging sideways during operation.

Means are provided for expanding the dogs responsive to manipulation of the tubing string. Such means can include springs 58 which are in the nature of heavy leaf springs. These springs are mounted for vertical sliding movement and have a bowed portion 58a which is adapted to push the dogs outwardly upon downward movement of the leaf springs. Upon upward movement of the leaf springs, the bowed portions move with respect to the dogs until they lie in an outwardly curved portion 59 at the rear of the dogs. In order to push the springs upwardly and downwardly to actuate the dogs, abutments are provided on the tubing string for this purpose. Thus, when the string is being lowered into the hole, the springs 58 will be in upward position and the dogs retracted. In this position, their upper ends will project from the upper end of housing 10. The casing has a ring 60 secured thereto for engagement with the upper end of the springs 58 to push them downwardly and latch the dogs. Ring 60 is, of course, attached to the tubing in such position that it will engage the upper end of the springs just prior to the time when the wedge has completed its downstroke, as indicated in FIG. 2. The springs can be moved upwardly by engaging another shoulder 62 here conveniently formed on fitting 44. Thus, when it is desired to move the tool from the hole, the tubing string is lifted upwardly, disengaged from the wedge and then moved upwardly still further until shoulder 62 abuts the lower end of the springs. The tubing can then be rotated to make up threads 49-50 and in so doing, springs 58 will be moved up and the upward dogs unlatched.

By using the springs or other resilient means to actuate the dogs, substantial variation in casing diameter can be 7 tolerated while always providing for positive locking of the dogs. Thus if an out-of-round or undersized casing is encountered, the springs merely bend at their bowed out portions 58a to accommodate the decrease in casing size.

In operation, a casing collar stop 155 or other suitable abutment can be run into the well and positioned at the point where the lower end of the tool is to be positioned. Alternately, other kinds of stops can be used such as a tail pipe attached to the lower end of the slip carrier to extend between the slip carrier and the bottom of the hole or, in some cases, the slips can even be set on the bottom of the well. In any event, as the tool moves downwardly and contacts the abutment, slip carrier 52 is supported so that upon continued downward movement of the tool, slip setting wedge 53 moves downwardly between the slips 51-51a to cause them to grip the casing. The tool is then ready for pushing the segments out into the formation after tubing 19 has been rotated to unlock the latch fitting from the top of the housing. After this has been done, the tubing can :be slackened off until the latch fitting 44 abuts the top of the wedge and upon further movement, the dogs 42 and 43latch with fitting 44 and continued downward movement will cause the wedge to move the anvil outwardly as shown in FIG. 2, causing the first or nose segment to pierce the casing. Such downward movement also pushes springs 58 downwardly to lock dogs 55 against the casing. Upon completion of the downward movement, the tubing is again raised to retract the anvil and as the wedge nears the upper end of the stroke, the dogs 42-43 will engage ring 47 to release the dogs, permitting the tubing to overtravel. As this happens, another pipe segment falls into the saddle. The operation is then repeated, driving another segment out into the formation. Any desired number of segments can be driven out into the formation to provide a pipe extending many feet into the formation. After the desired number of segments have been driven out, string 19 can be picked up, threads 49-50 made up by turning the tubing which also moves springs 58 upwardly to release the upper dogs. Then upon further picking up of the string, slips 51-51a will be unseated and the tool can be withdrawn from the hole.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth, together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the apparatus and structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The invention having been described, what is claimed 1. An apparatus for forcing a plurality of pipe segments from a borehole of a well laterally into a formation so as to form a flowway between the formation and borehole comprising an elongated housing adapted to be lowered into the borehole, means carried by the housing for supporting a pipe segment in position to be driven out into the formation and for feeding successive segments into such position, means in the housing and reciprocal transversely of the housing to engage a segment in said position and push it without rotation toward the formation, means in the housing and reciprocal longitudinally of the housing and having a wedge surface engageable with said transversely reciprocating means so as to drive the latter outwardly as said wedge surface is moved downwardly, and means carried by said longitudinally reciprocating means adapted to mechanically connect said longitudinally reciprocating means to a mass suspended above the apparatus so that upon movement of such mass downwardly, it applies force to said longitudinally reciprocating means to move said wedge surface downwardly and drive said transversely reciprocating means outwardly toward a segment to push the segment toward a formation into which the flowway is to be established, said longitudinally reciprocating means being divided longitudinally into first and second par-ts, means interconnecting said first and second parts for limited longitudinal movement therebetween, the first part having said connecting means at its upper end and having a wedge face extending longitudinally thereof, the second part having a face mating with said wedge face and also having said wedge surface thereon opposite said mating face so that upon movement of the wedge to its lowermost and segment driving position, an upward pull on the first part can cause it to move relative to the second part to release the wedge.

2. An apparatus for forcing a plurality of pipe segments from a borehole of a well laterally into a formation so as to form a flowway between the formation and borehole comprising an elongated housing adapted to be lowered into the borehole, means carried by the housing for supporting a pipe segment in a position to be driven out into the formation and for feeding successive segments into such position, means in the housing and reciprocal transversely of the housing to engage a segment in said position and push it without rotation toward the formation, means in the housing and reciprocal longitudinally of the housing and having a force transmitting connection with said transversely reciprocal means to reciprocate the latter, an actuating member reciprocal longitudinally of the housing, and means carried by said longitudinally reciprocating means and said actuating member for releasably connecting said longitudinal reciprocating means to said actuating member, and means carried by the housing for actuating said releasably connecting means to cause the actuating member to become disconnected from the longitudinal reciprocating means responsive to the longitudinal reciprocating means being moved to near one end of its stroke so that the actuating member can continue its movement without corresponding movement of the longitudinal reciprocating means and to cause the actuating member and the longitudinal reciprocating means to be connected together upon the actuating member reversing its movement and contacting the longitudinal reciprocating means.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said releasably connecting means includes a latch element forming a connection between the longitudinal reciprocating means and said actuating member, and means carried by the housing for engaging the latch element to move it to unlatched position upon movement of the longitudinally reciprocating means to near the upper end of its stroke and releasing the latch element for movement to latched position upon the actuating member moving the longitudinally reciprocating means downwardly.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 in combination with locking means carried by the housing for movement from a retracted to an expanded position and in such expanded position being adapted to engage a well casing to limit sideways movement of the tool therein, and means for moving said locking means between said positions responsive to manipulation of said actuating member.

5. An apparatus for forcing a plurality of pipe segments from a borehole of a well laterally into a formation so as to form a flowway between the formation and the borehole comprising an elongated housing adapted to be lowered into the borehole, means carried by the housing for supporting a pipe segment in position so that it can be pushed laterally of the housing into the formation, means in the housing for holding a supply of said segments and for feeding them one-by-one into said supporting means as the preceding segment is pushed therefrom, means carried by the housing including a wedge reciprocal longitudinally of the housing for pushing without rotation a segment in said position out toward a formation responsive to downward movement of the wedge, an actuating member longitudinally reciprocal with respect to the housing and disposed above the wedge; and means for connecting said wedge to said actuating member, including a latch carried by one of said wedge and actuating member for releasable engagement with the other of said wedge and actuating member, and means carried by the housing for moving said latch to unlatched position responsive to movement of the wedge to the upper end of its stroke whereby the actuating member connected thereto can move away from the wedge and for permitting the latch to move to latched position upon initial downward movement of the wedge by the actuating member.

6. The apparatus of claim wherein said latch includes a pair of dogs pivoted to the wedge and engageable with a shoulder on the actuating member, and wherein said latch moving means is a trip block on the housing engageable with the dogs to move them to unlatched positon when the wedge is moved to its upper position.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 in combination with a guide located between the upper ends of the housing and wedge and engaging said actuating member to guide it toward latching position with respect to the wedge.

8. An apparatus for forcing a plurality of pipe segments from a borehole of a well laterally into a formation so as to form a fiowway between the formation and the borehole comprising an elongated housing adapted to be lowered into the borehole, means carried by the housing for supporting a pipe segment in position so that it can be pushed laterally of the housing into the formation, means in the housing for holding a supply of said segments and for feeding them one-by-one into said supporting means as the preceding segment is pushed therefrom, an anvil mounted in the housing for reciprocation transverse of the housing but for limited longitudinal movement with respect thereto to push said segments without rotation from said supporting means out into the formation, a wedge mounted for reciprocation longitudinally of the housing behind the anvil so that downward movement of the wedge moves the anvil toward segment pushing position, a sliding connection between the anvil and wedge causing the anvil to be retracted responsive to upward movement of the wedge, an actuating member reciprocable with respect to the housing above the wedge, dogs pivoted to the wedge and movable between latching and unlatching positions and in latching position engageable with shoulders on said actuating member, and an abutment carried by the housing for engagement with the dogs upon movement of the wedge to its uppermost position to release the dogs from latching engagement with the actuating member, said housing extending a substantial distance above the wedge when the wedge is in its uppermost position so as to permit the actuating member to overtravel after release from the wedge without moving the latter.

9. An apparatus for forcing a plurality of pipe segments from a borehole of a well laterally into a formation so as to form a fiowway between the formation and the borehole comprising an elongated housing adapted to be lowered into the borehole, means carried by the housing for supporting a pipe segment in position so that it can be pushed laterally of the housing into the formation, means in the housing for holding a supply of said segments and for feeding them one-by-one into said supporting means as the preceding segment is pushed therefrom, means for pushing said segments without rotation from said supporting means out toward the formation including a part mounted for reciprocation transversely of the housing in the direction the segments are to be pushed and positioned to engage the rear end of a segment in the supporting means to apply a pushing force to such segment, means reciprocal longitudinally of the housing connected to the pushing means so as to move the latter through a segment pushing stroke on downward movement of the longitudinal reciprocating means and to pull the pushing means to a retracted position upon upward movement of the longitudinal reciprocating means, an actuating member reciprocal with respect to the housing above the longitudinal reciprocating means, said housing extending a substantial distance above the longitudinal reciprocating means, and means forming a releasable connection between the longitudinal reciprocating means and said actuating member permitting the latter to become disengaged from the longitudinal reciprocating means when the latter reaches the upper end of its stroke and then to move away from the longitudinal reciprocating means without moving the latter and permitting the longitudinal reciprocating means to be recoupled to the actuating member upon the latter moving the longitudinal reciprocating means downwardly.

10. In a well perforating tool wherein means are provided to push successive segments from a housing out into a formation to form a fiowway thereinto responsive to reciprocation of an actuating member, holding means carried by the housing for lateral expansion with respect thereto and when expanded adapted to engage a well casing in which the tool is situated, said holding means including dogs movable laterally of the housing and situated in one-half the circumference of the tool so that upon expansion thereof, the tool is pushed back into abutment with the casing, and resilient means movable to a first position to urge the dogs laterally outwardly and to a second position to permit the dogs to move inwardly, said resilient means comprising leaf springs carried for longitudinal movement in the housing and having bowed portions engageable with the dogs to urge them outwardly upon longitudinal movement of the springs in one direction.

11. The tool of claim 10 wherein the actuating member carries abutments engageable with the springs to move them longitudinally during a last portion of the actuating members upward and downward stroke.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,147,214 2/1939 Perebaskine et al. 52 2,383,496 8/1945 Nebolsine 175-62 2,426,106 8/1947 Kinley 166-55.1 2,482,913 9/1949 Iobe 166-55.1 2,544,601 3/1951 Kinley 16655.1 2,550,330 4/1951 Coyle 17552 2,571,934 10/1951 Otis et al. 166-553 2,756,827 7/1956 Farrar 166136 2,889,137 6/1959 Walker 17552 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Examiner. 

8. AN APPARATUS FOR FORCING A PLURALITY OF PIPE SEGMENTS FROM A BOREHOLE OF A WELL LATERALLY INTO A FORMATION SO AS TO FORM A FLOWWAY BETWEEN THE FORMATION AND THE BOREHOLE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOUSING ADAPTED TO BE LOWERED INTO THE BOREHOLE, MEANS CARRIED BY THE HOUSING FOR SUPPORTING A PIPE SEGMENT IN POSITION SO THAT IT CAN BE PUSHED LATERALLY OF THE HOUSING INTO THE FORMATION, MEANS IN THE HOUSING FOR HOLDING A SUPPLY OF SAID SEGMENTS AND FOR FEEDING THEM ONE-BY-ONE INTO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AS THE PRECEDING SEGMENT IS PUSHED THEREFROM, AN ANVIL MOUNTED IN THE HOUSING FOR RECIPROCATION TRANSVERSE OF THE HOUSING BUT FOR LIMITED LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT THERETO TO PUSH SAID SEGMENTS WITHOUT ROTATION FROM SAID SUPPORTING MEANS OUT INTO THE FORMATION, A WEDGE MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATION LONGITUDINALLY OF THE HOUSING BEHIND THE ANVIL SO THAT DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF THE WEDGE MOVES THE ANVIL TOWARD SEGMENT PUSHING POSITION, A SLIDING CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ANVIL AND WEDGE CAUSING THE ANVIL TO BE RETRACTED RESPONSIVE TO UPWARD MOVEMENT OF THE WEDGE, AN ACTUATING MEMBER RECIPROCABLE WITH RESPECT TO THE HOUSING ABOVE THE WEDGE, DOGS PIVOTED TO THE WEDGE AND MOVABLE BETWEEN LATCHING AND UNLATCHING POSITIONS AND IN LATCHING POSITION ENGAGEABLE WITH SHOULDERS ON SAID ACTUATING MEMBER, AND AN ABUTMENT CARRIED BY THE HOUSING FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE DOGS UPON MOVEMENT OF THE WEDGE TO ITS UPPERMOST POSITION TO RELEASE THE DOGS FROM LATCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ACTUATING MEMBER, SAID HOUSING EXTENDING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE ABOVE THE WEDGE WHEN THE WEDGE IS IN ITS UPPERMOST POSITION SO AS TO PERMIT THE ACTUATING MEMBER TO OVERTRAVEL AFTER RELEASE FROM THE WEDGE WITHOUT MOVING THE LATTER. 